


Snart but not Snart

by Mjazilem



Category: DC Cinematic Universe, DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (Comics), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Captain Canary, Captain Cold - Freeform, Child Abuse, Child Len, De-Aged, Drugs, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lisa Snart Mentioned, Mick Rory mentioned, Pre Relationship, hurt Leonard, suggested - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-05-27 19:59:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6298207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mjazilem/pseuds/Mjazilem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While out doing a job for the mission in 2101 Leonard is incapacitated and then shockingly de-aged. The team takes care of him as best they can until he gets better.</p><p>Epilogue added</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I read a request on Tumblr for a de-aged Len that surprises the rest of the team. I decided to give it a try, here's my attempt. hope you enjoy

Trying to get a meeting with a mob boss in 2101 was becoming seriously tedious. So many hoops to jump through. 

Sara and Snart were currently in the middle of being vetted and Sara was about to call bullshit because the lackeys had pegged Snart as the one in charge.

Granted the team had sent Snart in because he was the criminal and could give off criminal vibes and Sara was there to act as his low-key muscle, but still, it was the future dammit shouldn't they be a little more progressive. 

The meeting was in a night club and Snart had been taken up to a private table in a lofted section that overlooked the dance floor while Sara was held back to wait. She strained to keep him in her sight, she watched as best she could. 

One wrong move on the part of the mobsters and Sara planned to take out the two lackeys waiting with her and vault up to the loft. 

Surprisingly the music wasn't bad, it was a little bit dubstep, a little jazzy with some maybe seapunk, something she heard definitely sounded like dolphins. Of course it was like every club ever, too loud. There was no way for Sara to know what they were saying from her vantage point so she watch Len for a sign.

He's got one hell of a poker face for sure but after traveling through time and space with him Sara felt like she could pick up on some of his tells. Plus they'd come to an understanding that meant she trusted Snart would let her know if he needed backup. 

He seemed to be playing cool as usual. He certainly looked smooth in his black suit and grey shirt. The two guys he was at the table with were talking and laughing. Snart doesn't laugh with them but does smile slyly. 

Sara has her arms crossed in front of her as the goons with her loom over her. She's in a tight blue dress that definitely shows off her feminine assets. She's not crazy about that in this company but at least it makes for a good distraction. The goons are busy checking her out and not catching how she's assessing the weapons they have on them. 

She looks back up to the private table just as a waitress delivers a round. “Come on Leonard.” She says under her breath. 

She's of the opinion that they could have just beat the Boss's location out of one of these lowlifes, it would have been fast and they wouldn't have to waste time schmoozing. They could be tracking down their lead on Savage by now. 

Rip had vetoed Sara's idea in favor of sending in the more subtle Snart. 

Leonard takes a glass that looks like whiskey from one of the men and they all toast to what ever criminals toast too 'here's to all cops being nearsighted' 'here's to there always being drugs that are addictive' 'here's to people who use password as their password.' Sara actually chuckles a little at the last thought.

“What's funny?” demands the guy at her side with the gun clearly visible under his jacket. Sarah starts to bat her eyelashes and gets ready to tell the man what's funny about his face when she senses somethings not right. 

She can see Leonard has set his glass back on the table and the other men have stopped talking. It doesn't look overtly like trouble but something about the way Snart is pulling at his collar and the way the other men are looking at him sends up a red flag in Sara's mind. 

She decides to act rather than wait and see what happens. She starts to move towards the trouble, one of the goons grabs her arm to stop her. She grabs his hand and bends it back until she hears a pop. The goon screams and drops to his knees, the other goes for his gun. Sara easily takes the gun from him and hits him with it. 

So much for subtlety. 

With the goons on the ground Sara turns back just in time to see Leonard go slack in his seat and the other men laughing like drunken hyenas. 

Sara sprints through the crowd unconcerned about pushing the club's patrons out of her way as she leaps on a table and pulls herself up over the railing of the loft. The music does't skip a beat no one seems to be that concerned about anything but the party. 

Sara grabs the closest mobster by the collar. The men are shocked and stoned by the dazed looks on their faces. “Did you come to party with us?” one of them leers at her. 

“No, jackass.” Sara glances back at Snart. He's suck down in his chair and she can hear him groan. “What did you do to my friend?”

“Come on don't be like that...” The other guy reaches across the table and makes to grab for her, Sara swiftly kicks him the chest, he and his chair topple over.

“What?...” The guy she's still got a hold of slurs. 

“Leonard, talk to me. Are you ok?” When she didn't hear him Sara glances quickly over her shoulder. When she looks she doesn't see him either. Shit.

“Tell me where your boss is!” She shakes the guy's collar and steps down with her stiletto heal onto the palm of the guy on the floor. Both protest loudly. 

“Go to Hell.” The guys upright spits at her with stoned bravado. 

“Yeah, yeah... “ Sara rolls her eyes. “Where is he?” She steps a little harder on the other guy's hand and he squeals. Sara is all business and unaffected by the sounds of pain from the man she's torturing. 

Then she hears a gasp and what sounds like pain from behind her. Leonard.

Her attention shifts. She can't see him he must be on the floor block from view by the table cloth. “Leonard, are you ok?” She needs to hurry up and get to him, he didn't sound good.

Turning back to the men she's still got control of. “Tell me or you won't like what happens next.” 

She pulls a knife from one of her hidden sheaths and holds it to the man's collar bone as she keeps pressure on the other man's hand. The man starts to whimper. “Don't... please.”

“Tell me.” Sara lets her knife pinch into his skin.

“113 West Hull.” He gives up. 

As soon as Sara gets the info she turns from the mobsters and they run off like the scared rats they are.

She doesn't care about them her focus is all on getting to Snart.

She hurried around the table and can see he is indeed sprawled on the floor. Those guys must have drugged him. “Leonard, Leonard...” She couldn't see his face, couldn't tell if he was passed out or even if he was breathing. She pushed the chair out of the way to get to him and crouched down to roll him over. 

She took him by the shoulder and rolled him onto his back. His head lulled to the side and he blink when she said his name but his eyes didn't focus. Sara could hardly see any of the light blue of his eyes his pupils were so blown out. 

“I hope they gave you the good stuff Snart.” Sara quipped. “Come on we need to get back to the ship.” 

Sara pulled Leonard's arm around her shoulder and hauled him up off the floor. It was a far from ideal situation. Whatever drugs were in his system were knocking him for a loop. He was boneless and seemed like he might slip unconscious. “Stay with me Snart.”

Even with heals on he was taller than she was. 

“Can you walk Leonard?” She tried moving him. “We've got to go.” He groaned like she was waking him up before his alarm clock was suppose to go off. His head hung forward. She held him up and he managed to get his feet under him but when he tried to move his knees gave out. 

“This is going to be interesting.” Sara held onto him tight and moved through the club as quickly as she could with him. 

“We need to get Gideon to look at you.” 

'Who's Gideon?” Leonard mumbled just loud enough for Sara to hear over the club music as they made it out the front door. 

Sara's worry for him compounded after his question and she redoubled her effort to get him back to the ship. Luckily Leonard wasn't that heavy and the ship wasn't that far. “Hanging it there Leonard.” 

Sara focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Why did they not have a communicator or a cell phone with them, that seemed really dumb now. She dragged Leonard through the mostly, thankfully, deserted streets. He was quiet but he stubbled along with her so she knew he was still conscious. 

As they neared the ship Sara was even able to quicken her pace, Leonard seemed lighter the closer they got. 

She was filled with relief when they made it down the alleyway and the hatch to the Waverider opened. 

Jax and Kendra stepped out of the ship with concerned looks on their faces. 

“Help me get him to the Med bay!” Sara called out to them.

“Sure,” Jax moved to help take the nearly unconscious guy from Sara. “Who is he?” 

Sara looked at Jax not sure she'd heard him right. “What do you mean?” 

Before Jax could answer Kendra who'd been looking down the alley asked where Snart was. “Is he on his way, did he get the intel?” 

“He's right here...” Sara started to accuse her teammates of making a terrible joke when Jax took the weight off her shoulders and she turned and saw the head that was hanging in a drugged stupor was covered with dark curls and not salt and pepper hair and shorn close. 

“What? No.” Sara felt her stomach flip. It had to be... she lifted his chin and in the dim light the Waverider was giving off she could see the man was definitely Snart. His eyes were shut tight and his expression was pained but it was him. 

“This is strange...” Sara said quietly. “I'm not sure what's going on but this is Snart.” 

Kendra moved and put Leonard's other arm around her shoulders. “We'll take him to Medical.” 

They hurried up the ramp with him, Sara followed throwing off her heels as soon as she got inside so she could run.


	2. Chapter 2

“What is going on?” Sara asked as she stood over the bed Kendra and Jax had put Leonard on. 

“Please stand back Miss Lance as I perform initial scans.” Gideon's calm voice instructed.

'What happened?' was the predominate question as the rest of the team rushed into the med bay.

“Report Miss Lance.” Rip ordered when he had cut in front of Stein and Ray to see what exactly was happening.

Sara didn't take her eyes off Leonard as she answered. “We were at the club meeting with the underlings, trying to find the location of the boss you wanted. I think they drugged Snart.” 

It was more than just his hair that was suddenly different. There was something else that Sara couldn't quite put her finger on. He was not the same. 

“Gideon what are your findings?” Rip asked the ship.

“I will need a blood sample to test before I can make the finial determination Captain.”

“Dr. Stein could you assist?” Rip asked. 

“Certainly.” Stein stepped up and used the tools that Gideon supplied. 

Leonard who had appeared to be unconscious started to groggly struggle when Stein took hold of his hand to prick a finger. 

Sara went to his side to try and quiet him. “Hey, hey we're just trying to help, relax.” 

Snart rolled his head towards the sound of her voice and opened his eyes just a crack. “Hey there you're gonna be ok, we're getting you checked out.”

“I...don't feel good.” He said pitifully. Sara had never heard him admit weakness like that before. I was unnerving. 

“What doesn't feel good?” She asked him as Stein supplied Gideon with the sample. There's a pause and Sara isn't sure Snart's going to answer her. He seems really out of it. 

“M my head hurts. Hurts to t think. Don't remember... He musta got me good.” Leonard tells her and then opens his eyes to try and see what's happening around him but his eyes sort of roam around unfocused before he squints against the bright lights of the med bay. 

“I think they did get you good. Gideon can you dim the lights, please?” Sara asks. The lights lower and Sara watches Snart relax a fraction. 

“Are you ok?” He asks with his eyes closed. 

Sara moves closer to him to hear him better. His voice was often quiet but now she stains to hear him. He sounds really tired. “D did he hit you?” Sara starts to answer that she's ok when he continues. “He d didn't h hurt you did he Lisa?” 

Sara takes a step back unsure what she just heard. 

“Gideon.” Rip says needing some answers as Snart quiets on the bed. 

“Captain, Mr. Snart is now unconscious and I have concluded my tests.” 

“And?”

“Mr. Snart has ingested the drug Daious.”

“What is that?” Sara asked Gideon but Rip answers instead.

“A controlled substance developed in the early 100s it temporarily de-ages a person.”

“De-ages?” Jax asks curiously. “So that means...”

“Mr. Snart is currently physically in his twenties.” Gideon supplied. 

“Whoa.” Jax exclaimed.

“That's fasinating!” Ray is intrigued. 

“That's extrodinary! It's temporary right?” Professor Stein asked. 

“Yes Daious was not designed to have lasting affects.” Gideon informed. 

“What about mentally Gideon? Is he mentally in his twenties? I mean will he know us.” Sara crossed her arms over her chest and as she looked at the figure on the bed. Snart but not Snart. 

“I can not determine that without questioning Mr. Snart.” 

“Let him sleep for now, maybe he'll sleep it off.” Rip instructed. 

“And what if he doesn't” Sara countered. 

“Being twenty again could hardly be that bad could it Miss Lance?” Sara narrowed her eyes at Hunter, she didn't like his answer but she didn't say anything. 

“Did you and Mr. Snart get the information you were sent to get?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then come with me so we can sort it.” 

Sara looks back at Snart. 

“He's not in any danger, Miss Lance.”

“Still...”

Rip sighs “Kendra will you keep an eye on Mr. Snart.” 

“Yes I can do that.” 

“Thank you... with me then Sara.” 

Sara looked between Kendra and Snart and willed Leonard to make things easy and just be ok, before she followed Rip to his study.


	3. Chapter 3

Kendra and Ray had been seated at a table in the Med bay talking quietly for about twenty minuets when Gideon informed them that Snart was waking up. 

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and groaned rubbing at his eyes. His head felt like it was splitting and there was pain behind his eyes. They felt like they were being stabbed. 

Even feeling this bad he pushed himself to get up. Chances were if he felt this awful there were good odds their dad had taken some of his rage out on Lisa. 

Leonard disoriented and still squinting against the now dimmed lights he slid down from the bed. When his feet hit the floor his legs were like jelly and he didn't know if he'd be able to walk. 

Kendra crossed the med bay and got to Snart's bedside just as he was trying to stand. “Whoa there, easy.” She said softly. 

He doesn't really look like he's awake, more like he's about to sleepwalk. She can tell he isn't going to get far. his knees buckle as soon as he tried to take a step. 

She grabs his arm to keep him from falling.

His reaction to being touched is swift and startling. He pulls back and away from her, he holds onto the bed to keep from dropping, he looks at her and she sees fear in his eyes. She isn't sure what to make of it. Had she really scared him so badly. 

“It's ok, you're ok...” Kendra tried to comfort him. 

“Who are you, w what is this?” Leonard tried to put as much room between himself and the stranger as he could. But the bed blocked his path and she and now a man who's joined her keep getting closer to him. 

He's not happy about this but he's in no shape to do anything about it but glare at them and even that hurts. 

“The drugs must be doing more than just de-aging his physical appearance. Amazing.” Ray whispered to Kendra. 

Len ignored the pain the lights were causing him in favor of watching the strangers and scoping out the room he's in. 

“Leonard we're friends, I'm sorry you can't remember us right now but you've been drugged.” Ray lifted his hand to put it on Leonard's shoulder but Leonard jerked his shoulder out from under Ray's hand and gives him a 'back off' look just like present day Snart was fond of doing. 

Ray put his hand down, a little unsure of what to do or say next. 

“Where's Lisa?” Snart asked as he leaned a little heavier on the bed behind him, his head pounding. 

“Lisa, that's your sister right?” Kendra tried to figure out what to tell Snart. Snart eyed her suspiciously. “Lisa is safe...” she started trying to figure out how to convince him of this. “Lisa... is with Mick.” She and Ray watch Snart nod like it's plausible and they take that as a good sign. 

“Right, she's with Mick, safe as houses.” Ray jumps in eager to help.

“What does that even mean?” Snart scowls at him. 

Ray's becoming convinced the only thing different between their Snart and this one is really just his hair. 

“You know just that she's safe... the saying actually originated in reference to investing in...” Ray started to tell them all about it. 

“oowww.” Snart drew out the word and put his hand up to his eye in pain. The pain started in his head and then radiated through his body. 

Ray thought at first Snart was being sarcastic but realized he's actually really in pain a second later when he doubled over. 

Kendra and Ray move into action. They lift the pained crook up onto the bed while he's too incapacitated to struggle. “Gideon what's happening?” Ray hoped the AI can do something to help his teammate. 

“Mr. Snart might benefit from a sedative, the drug is causing pain as it rearranges his cells on a molecular level.” 

“That can't be healthy.” Kendra grimaced as Snart strained and twitched on the bed.

Ray retrieved the sedative Gideon prescribed and prepped to administer it. “Perhaps it's a good thing, maybe he's returning to normal.” The scientist suggested hopefully.

Ray rolled up the sleeve of Snart's dress shirt. He's thankful that they had a least thought to take his suit jacket and shoes off even though they hadn't gone so far as to change him into something more comfortable. 

He found a vein and gave the shot then stood back as Leonard quieted and his muscles relaxed. The sedative worked fast and Snart was asleep once again. 

Kendra breathed a sigh of relief. She looked Snart over looking for anything she could do to make him marginally more comfortable. Her eyes landed on his uncovered left forearm. She has the odd thought that this is more skin than Snart ever has exposed. 

Then she saw why that might be, just that small part of him, wrist to elbow is covered in scars. There are straight ones, jagged marks, and round ones that Kendra is fairly certain she's knows what made them. Despite not knowing a lot about Snart this upset her and she knew deep inside that he didn't like people seeing these scars. 

Kendra moved around the bed and pulled his sleeve back down. She couldn't help but wonder if their present day Snart had any more scars than his younger self.


	4. Chapter 4

When Sara returned to the Med Bay Snart had been out again for ten minuets and Kendra and Ray were back seated at the table a bit more somber than before.

Sara moved to Snart's bedside to check on him and startled at what she saw. “hum, guys this can't be good.” Kendra and Ray jumped up to see what she meant. “Gideon?” 

“The drug has de-aged Mr. Snart again he is now in his teens.”

Sara looked down at the sleeping Snart. He looked so young. His face was softer with less angles and he looked like he was swimming in the clothing he had on. 

Sara stepped away from the bed “Gideon can you inform Rip that we need to talk.” 

Kendra is shocked that Snart de-aged like this as they were sitting just half a room away. It had been so quiet they thought nothing was happening. She took to rolling up the cuffs of his sleeves just so they wouldn't be over his hands. 

Leonard started to wake again sensing people around him. He blinked trying to clear the haze from his eyes it felt like his brain was foggy. He looked up at a person standing above him and his first thought was 'Mother' then he remembered he hadn't seen her in ten years and realization that he didn't know who was standing over him came crashing down. 

“Get Away!” He yells horsely, not willing to take any chances with strangers. He started to scramble back away but there was no place to go on the bed so he clambers off of it. 

In his attempt to flee he falls when the pants he's wearing bunch around his feet. He falls hard to his knees with a cry but doesn't stop moving as three unknown adults move towards him.

He can't seem to get to his feet and he unknowingly put himself in a corner of the room without an exit. All he can do is push himself into the corner and try to make himself as small as possible. 

Sara jumped in just like Kendra and Ray to try and help Leonard as he tumbled to the floor. But she decided quickly when she saw him curl defensively into a ball that their instincts to go to him and pick him up aren't helping him. 

“Let's step back.” Sara suggested. Ray and Kendra both look at her with such open concern that she doesn't want to tell them they are making things worse. “Just back off a little.” 

They do as she said and step back both concerned and confused. 

Sarah crouched down about five feet from the boy. She wasn't sure how old he was exactly but she knew he hadn't been lying when he'd said he was small for his age. “Leonard, it's ok. No one is going to hurt you.” 

One ice blue eye peaked over the arm he's buried his face in at her. “You're ok, we're here to help you.”

“Who's 'we'” He asked eyeing her and then Kendra and Ray. 

“We're...” Sara had to think a minuet, what would a young Snart believe. “A team who helps people, You're in a hospital for help.” 

“Yeah right.” he said just loud enough to let her know he wasn't buying it. 

He couldn't feel any broken bones, his knee kinda hurt but he could tell nothing was broken. He knew that unless something was broken there was no way his Dad would make a trip to the hospital. 

“Why don't you come sit at the table over here.” Sara suggested. “I promise I won't let anyone hurt you.”

Leonard ignored Sara's promise, he doesn't believe her anyway. He instead stays in his defensive position and asked “Where's my sister? I want to see my sister.” He needs to make sure she's safe. 

“I'm sorry Leonard she's not here.” Sara spoke honestly and then wondered if maybe she should have made up a lie as Leonard's expression becomes more frighten then it already was. 

Kendra and Ray stand back and watch hoping that Sara can calm little Snart down. She doesn't seem to be able to coax him out of his corner. She soon looked back at them for back up when Leonard started to panic. 

“I need to find my sister. If she's not here with me she's probably with him.” Leonard is clearly in distress. 

That's when Rip walks in. “What's all this then?”

“That's what I was going to ask you?” Sara stood and snapped at him. 

Rip looked to the corner and saw a very distraught young man huddled on the floor. Kendra trying to console him about the sister he's scared for. 

“It seems our Mr. Snart has de-aged again.”

“Thanks Captain Obvious, what do we do?” Sara was really not sure how to help baby Len get through this trama. 

Rip thought for a second and then stepped past Kendra and Ray and right up to Leonard ignoring the other's protests. 

The boy looked up at him with fear in his eyes and Rip doubted his plan for a second before continuing. 

“Leonard, my name is Captain Rip Hunter I'm in charge of this spaceship and you are dreaming.” 

Leonard blinked at Rip unsure about any of this. He looked around the room, really looked at everything, not just the stark colors that made it look like a hospital. Everything was odd looking and futuristic. 'Could this be a dream?' He started to wonder. 

“You like comic books don't you Leonard?” Rip asked dramatical. Leonard nodded his head slowly in shock. “Well you're dreaming about a team of superhero's traveling through time and space on a spaceship.” 

Leonard shook his head in disbelief. He'd never had a dream like this before. “Could I have a laser gun if this wasn't a dream?” Rip pulled his glowing six shooter from his holster to show off to the boy. 

Leonard's eyes got wide. “My compatriots here are Sara Lance: a masterful assassin, Ray Palmer: a scientist with a shrinking suit, and Hawkgirl.” Snart looked to each in turn as they were introduced. When his eyes laid on Kendra she gave him a small wave and then unfurled her wings.

It looked like Rip's plan may have worked as Leonard still staring wide eyed stood up from the floor. He looked around in amazement and Sara thinks that maybe this ruse will be enough. 

“Is...is...” Leonard started to say something and they all anticipate it being some question dealing with the nature of the ship or Kendra's powers or of the dream that he seemed to be buying into. 

“Is Lisa ok?” Leonard asked his dream superheros hoping they knew something he didn't. 

They are all thrown for a loop by his question and Sara is the first one to gather her wits. She stepped up beside Rip “Lisa's asleep in her bed, you've got nothing to worry about.”

“But will I know if she needs me? I don't usually dream like this.” Leonard knows he's usually a light sleeper, he always needs to be ready incase Lewis comes home drunk or in a 'teaching' mood. 

Maybe this is because of Lewis, he reasoned. The last time Lewis knocked him around the head he couldn't walk straight for a month, he kept running into things on his left which infuriated Lewis and caused more 'lessons.'

“I'm unconscious aren't I?” He asked so matter of factly that the rest of the team is taken aback. 

He grabbed hold of his too big pants, wondering for a second what he's wearing but dismissing the thought as he moves from the corner and crosses the few feet to the bed. 

He put his hands on the futuristic bed, it feels solid and real. “I've heard about people getting really vivid dreams after a concussion, I haven't experienced that symptom before but I image this is what it would be like.” 

No one said anything as Leonard continued to talk. Sara feels bad he must really believe it's a dream and that he's really only talking or thinking to himself. “I hope he left after he knocked me out, God he better not have hurt Lisa. You said I will know if she needs me. Will I be able to wake up if she needs me?” He looked at Sara with eyes pleading for her to say yes.

“You will Len.” She tried to keep a smile on as her heart started to break. 

“Did you call me Len?” He asked her and she becomes worried she'd made a mistake. She started to say something to hopefully fix it when he continued. 

“I never thought of going by Len, it's not a terrible name. Most people call me Leo but that's what he calls me and anything he does I just...” Leonard can't finish the thought he closed his eyes and shuddered. 

Then his stomach growled. He looked down embarrassed suddenly and tried to play it off. “Don't you superheros have something super to do about now?” 

“We can get you something super to eat, that would be ok wouldn't it?” Kendra looked at Rip and Rip asked Gideon. 

Leonard jumped when Gideon speaks but doesn't freak out because of course spaceships can talk in dreams. 

Gideon confirmed that food should not exacerbate Snart's condition. “Well than lets get young Mr. Snart something to eat. What would you like Len?” Rip asked. 

“It's dream food what good will it do?” 

“Well...” Rip tried to think around his logic. 

“It'll taste good.” Kendra supplied. “Dream food tastes really great and we can get you anything you can dream up.” At least Kendra hoped the Waverider's food genarator could, it had been pretty brilliant at everything she'd asked it to make. 

Leonard looked at them, he was getting uncomfortable with the way all the dream people were looking at him with sadly, he imagined it was probably another side effect of his apparent concussion. 

“I can't remember if I fed Lisa today.” He said getting upset as his stomach growled again. 

“You did Len, she's fine.” Sara tried to assure him.

“You say that, but I don't know that.” He started to tremble. “For all I know Lewis knocked out first thing this morning and I've been lying out cold on the floor while she's hungry and scared. She's only six I need to take care of her. Can I please just wake up now? Please.” 

They look at each other not sure what to say, maybe the 'it's all a dream' plan wasn't as brilliant as it had first seemed.

Rip spoke up. “Len, Leonard we can assure you that both you and your sister are safe. This is merely a dream brought on by reading comics late into the night.” 

“Why would I be stupid enough to keep a light on after lights out? I learned that lesson when I was like five.” Leonard absently rubbed his arm remembering when his father had taught him that it didn't matter if he was scared of the dark, lights out meant lights out. 

“Yes well...” Rip looked around for help again just as Jax and Professor Stein came into the Med Bay. 

Jax took one look at their de-aged teammate and exclaimed. “Oh my God, is that baby Snart!” 

“Jax!” Seemingly everyone else turned to scold the mechanic as Leonard covered his ears. Everyone was being too loud for him. There were too many people, too many strangers, too close to him. Why would he dream someone who called him a baby, his dad would call him a baby and if he cried when he was hurt. It was always a reason for another of Lewis's 'lessons.'

“I'm twelve, I'm not a baby... ow ow...” His head was started to hurt again. He brought his sleeve covered hands to eyes and pressed against the pain. 

“Len, Lenny are you ok?” Sara asked as Snart started to whimper. 

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry.” Jax said really afraid that his outburst had hurt Snart.

Gideon chimed in “Mr. Snart's molecules are beginning to rearrange again.” 

“Back to normal I hope.” Ray said optimistically. He moved to get the sedative that Gideon supplied, it's a much much smaller dose than before. Rip lift little Len back up onto the bed with nearly no effort.

“This is what happened before he de-aged last time.” Kendra explained.

“This can't be good.” Sara points out. “Is this what the drug is suppose to do?” 

Rip stood over the bed with the child on it squirming uncomfortably. “When it was first developed doctors would administer the correct amount to take one back to the desired age. It was developed to to aid in gene therapy. It became a tool for psychotherapy and started being taken as a recreational drug.”

“It doesn't look like he's having much fun.” Leonard finally quieted after Ray got the sedative in him. 

Rip sighed. “No, no it doesn't. To my knowledge the drug was only suppose to de-age you once and then you returned to your actual age. This must be a variant or a bad knockoff.”

“What's if...” Kendra spoke out loud what they're all afraid to say. “what if he doesn't return to his age, goodness what if it keeps de-aging him?” 

“Could he de-age into nonexistence? How in the world would that even work.” Sara wondered. 

“We can't think like that. He's going to be fine.” Ray put his hand on Kendra's shoulder just how he wanted to comfort Snart earlier when Snart wouldn't let him. 

The team all watched this time as Snart's features get younger again. “He looks like he's about about five now.” Sara judged. 

Even with the sedative in his system he doesn't appear to be sleeping peacefully. Sara has the urge to run her hand over his curls and comfort him like her parents did for her when she was little and not feeling well. 

Leonard started to shift on the bed and opened his eyes and blinked sleepily. Kendra moved to his side to see if he needed anything. The others stand back and stay quiet. “Mommy?” he asked in a small voice.

Kendra put her hands on the bed but didn't touch him. “No Leonard, this is a dream, my name's Kendra.” She said in her sweet soothing voice. “Is there anything I can get for you.” She remembered his stomach growling before. 

He's so drowsy now that he doesn't turn his head or look around. “Where's Lisa?” He asks\ed in a soft sleepy voice. 

“Lisa's asleep in her bed sweetheart.” Kendra answered him and he scrunched up his nose at something.

“Don't you mean her crib? She's just a baby.” He corrected her. 

“That's right, she's in her crib. You're so smart. Is there anything you want? Something to eat maybe?”

“Some water?” Leonard asked.

“Sure, some water.” Sara moves to get a cup with some water. “But what about a chocolate milkshake too?” Kendra suggested.

“A milkshake?” the little boy said with awe. “I couldn't ask for that, that would be too much. Mommy says things like that cost too much money.” 

“This is a dream sweetheart.” Kendra explained as Sara hands her the cup. “You can have anything you like.” 

She helped Leonard push the sleeves up on the dress shirt that is still around him. She is thankful that she can't see any scars on his arms. She helped him take a drink and then set the cup aside. 

Leonard looks like he's half asleep “oh man anything... like a chocolate milkshake with whip cream and sprinkles and a cherry.” He smiled at the thought and Ray takes off to the kitchen where Gideon has already started the food generator. 

Leonard closed his eyes and is almost asleep when Ray got back with a big perfect milkshake that he hands to Kendra. “Leonard... Leonard wake up. Look what I have for you.” 

Little Leonard woke up with a groan and blinked at what was being presented to him. “wow” He breaths. 

“Here.” Kendra holds the milkshake up to him and puts the straw to his mouth. The bed is angled just enough that he doesn't have difficulty sipping through the straw. He reached up to hold it but he's too little and too tired to so Kendra holds it for him. 

He took a few sips and then laid back exhausted. He smiled as he fell asleep. 

Kendra stepped back and they all hold their breath wondering what would happen next. 

LOTLOTLOTLOT

Around four in the morning they realized that Leonard was getting older and not younger. Sara kept vigil and she watched as his face lost it's baby softness and he got taller. She was relieved when around eight in the morning grey started to appear in his hair. 

She relaxed enough that a little while later he woke her from her cat nap.

“uuuugggg why do I feel like I've been hit by a truck?” He asked as he stretched. His head hurts, his right knee is aching and he just general feels wrung out. 

“Hey there.” Sara greeted him. 

Len looked around the Med Bay and saw more than half of his teammates sleeping in various positions around the table.

“What happened?” He asked concerned. His clothes are wrinkled and uncomfortable. He has to adjust his pants so they are on his hips correctly. “Is this stain from sprinkles?” he asks about the rainbow colored mark on his slate gray shirt. “Was there are party I'm not remembering?” He runs a hand over his short hair. 

“It was an interesting night. The mobsters we were dealing with drugged you.” Sara explained.

“oh joy...” Len hated drugs and booze, anything that left him not in full control of himself. This was a nightmare. “Was it bad?”

Sara grimaced. “You probably don't want to know how bad.” 

Len sighed exasperatedly. 

“You never told me your hair is curly.” Sara looked at him slyly. 

“What does that mean?” He narrowed his eyes at her trying to figure out what would prompt that statement. 

“and fyi Kendra is probably going to adopt you now.” 

“What? Sara... what are you talking about?” Leonard started to sit up but his head started to spin. 

Sara held her hands up seeing he's not feeling well she called a truce. “Relax, relax, we'll tell you all about it later. Right now take these.” Sara handed Leonard some pills for his headache and some water, which he takes and knocks back with his thanks. “and try to get some more sleep.” 

Leonard didn't feel like arguing.

“And Len, you're safe.” Sara made a point to tell him.

He raised an eyebrow but relaxed a little at her words as he lays back and dozes lightly. He hears when his teammates wake up one by one and all inquire about how he is and he hears the smile in Sara's voice when she tells them he'll be fine he's just sleeping. 

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it, thank you for reading and thank you for reviewing.


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little bit more to add to the story. Hope you enjoy

He got tired of resting after a while. He decided it was time to get up. 

He took a second to assess how he feels. His headache had lessened to a dull ache behind his eyes. His knee felt bruised but not too painful. The over all feeling of feeling like he'd been taken out by a Mac truck was better. 

He's ready to go take a shower and probably find some food, he thinks he needed to eat something. 

He opened one eye and didn't see Sara in the seat she had occupied earlier so he thought he was alone until he sat up and saw Kendra sitting at the table across the room. 

She looked up at him and smiled. "How are you feeling?" 

"Like it's time for a change of scenery." Leonard climbed down from the bed with care. He stood for a second making sure he was right in his assessment. He didn't feel like he was going to topple over, his legs felt pretty steady. It was time to go.

"How's your head?" Kendra looked at him sympathetically remembering how much pain younger Leonard had been in last night.

His hand went subconsciously up to rub at his temple before realizing he had inadvertently done something telling. He dropped his hand. "It's...better" 

He moved away from the bed. It was odd not wearing any shoes, he usually always had shoes on when he was outside his own room and even most of the time when he was in his room. It was always good to be ready for anything. 

He decided that looking around for his shoes right now would waste too much time and energy. He needed to keep moving. And he needed to get away from Kendra she was, pun intended, watching him like a hawk. 

She follows him out of The med bay. He's walking a bit stiffly but ok. 

"You know I'm just heading back to my room if you've got other things to do..." He subtly hints she can get lost now. 

"I'll walk with you." Kendra smiled at him again and he wasn't sure what to make of it.

"I'm a big boy, I don't need a babysitter." Leonard's informs her with more attitude. 

"I know." Kendra looked at him then with an amused look that worries him. Maybe Sara wasn't joking when she told him about Kendra earlier.

He eyes her but continues down the hall Kendra and all. The sooner he gets to his room the sooner he losses his tail. Still, He's thinking seriously about telling her to scram. Then his stomach growls. 

God he hated that sound. That gurgling that meant you'd gone long enough without eating that now your Stomach was going it eat itself. He was all too familiar. 

Feeling hungry he could deal with, he could tough that out any day. But that sound, he was helpless to stop it. It was like a god damn siren that aways brought concerned teachers, social workers and then fists. 

He had always done his best to provide when his father didn't but anything he got his hands on, anything he stole it went to Lisa first, sometimes he just couldn't get enough for him too. 

He's zoned out when he feels a light touch on his shoulder. He's too far into his memories to suppress his natural defenses. He jerked away from the touch and came crashing back to the present.

She heard his stomach growl and was about to ask him if he wanted to stop by the kitchen before going back to his room when he stopped walking. His sudden stoping scared her. she was afraid maybe the drug was still affecting him or maybe he was in pain. His eyes were closed. 

She said his name and when he didn't respond she, without thinking, put her hand on his shoulder.

It was just her nature to comfort with touch. 

He jumped like her hand had burned him. She mental kicked herself for totally forgetting his reactions to being touch the night before. She had honestly not thought to connect that their Snart might have the same aversion to being touched that his younger self did. She wonders if she's ever really seen anyone touch him. 

"I'm so sorry, it wasn't my intent to... are you alright?" Kendra sputtered as Leonard scowled at her. 

"I'm fine." He drawls before looking down and away from her. "I'm going to go now."

He started walking again. 

"No but wait, Len. I mean Leonard. Snart." Kendra wasn't sure what to call him, she wanted to call him by his first name but didn't know if he'd be comfortable with that. "Do you need to go back to the med bay?" 

"I'm fine." Leonard repeated and kept walking but quickened his pace. Kendra was behind taking long strides to keep up.

"Will you come to the kitchen at least and we'll get you something to eat?"

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself Kendra." He said over his shoulder.

"I know, but you don't have to do it alone anymore." 

Leonard stopped and turned to look at her wondering what she meant by saying that. Did she not realize that the only person, the only constant in his life that he could count on was him and him alone. 

Sara stepped into the hallway and found an interesting stand off going on. They were staring at each other, Snart looked defiant and Kendra looked determined. "So... What's up guys?" Sara asked nonchalantly. 

Snart continued his scrutiny of Kendra and her motives while he explained. "Little Miss Hawkgirl here thinks I'm some hatchling trying to fly the coup." He turned sharply to Sara with an intense look. "Will you tell her I'm well past needing a mother hen." 

"Oh oh we all know you're a big cock Snart." Sara all but winked at him as she joked. "What's the deal Kendra?" Sara asked the other woman without any judgement. She knew Kendra was still processing the events of last night. Sara was sure the whole team was, but that didn't mean Kendra wasn't being a bit overbearing especially for the crook and it didn't mean that Leonard wasn't being testy. 

"I just wanted to make sure he got to his room ok then his stomach was growling and he looked like he might be in pain for a second and I suggested he might want to go back to med bay or to the kitchen. That's when you joined."

"Aaahh." Sara nodded her head in understanding. "So which is it Len med bay or kitchen?" She'd send him back to his room like he wanted but she agreed with Kendra, she really wanted to make sure he was ok before he barricaded himself him his room. 

Sara watched as he narrowed his eyes at her, he wasn't happy about being ganged up on. 

"Kitchen." He grudgingly picked from his choices. 

"Ok kitchen to get something to eat and then back to your room." Sara instructed. Len started to counter but stopped not sure what to say. 

Sara spoke in a reassuring tone. "You'll probably feel better once you've had some food."

He nodded. 

Of course everyone else was in the kitchen when they got there. Len's first instinct was to leave, maybe come back when there were fewer people, maybe just find some food he'd stashed in his room to hold him over. 

His teammates all smile and greet him when he gets in the door. It's odd for him, he doesn't usually elicit such a warm response. Especially not from all of them at the same time. It makes him suspicious.

Sara pulls out a chair for him at the end of the table. "Have a seat." 

He sits where he's told and then wrapped his arms around himself. He didn't like this, if he'd just been here with Sara it might have been ok but he felt exposed with everyone there all around him. He felt practically naked without shoes or a coat on. 

Kendra sat down next to Ray and slid one of the waters she had down the table to Leonard. The glass was cold in his hand and the ice water felt nice going down his throat when he took a drink. 

"What sounds good Leonard?" Sara asked. 

He thought about it and nothing came to mind except maybe toast. The Team are all kinda looking at him and he's not sure what to say. His usuals are cereal and cheeseburgers neither sounds particularly good at the moment. 

"Tomato or chicken noodle?" Sara simplified things.

"What?" He asked distracted. 

"Soup and crackers do you want tomato or chicken noodle?" She asked patiently. 

"Chicken noodle." He said without enthusiasm. 

"Ok, coming right up." Leonard could make a number of snarky comments but holds his tongue. 

"So how are you feeling this afternoon, Snart? does everything appear to be back to normal?" Ray asked chipperly before the others at the table all shoot him dirty looks. 

They had talked about when and how they were going to tell Snart about what happened and it wasn't in the kitchen just after he'd woken up. 

"Yo man, cool it." Jax scolded Ray under his breath. It wasn't missed by Snart though. 

"Sorry I was trying to be nice and I am curious, I mean I am a scientist." 

"Have some restraint Raymond the man just had his molecules rearranged." Stein looked over his glasses at the younger scientist and dramatically stage whispered across the table. 

"Stein!" Half the table reacts. 

"Oh Sorry. Sorry." 

"Alright." Leonard draws out the word as he narrows his eyes at them. "Let me get this straight, I was drugged and it somehow rearranged my very being and it's a miracle I'm back to normal. Is that about right?" No wonder he woke up feeling like he'd been run over. 

"That's the gist of it." Sara set a bowl of soup in front of him and grabbed a spoon and some crackers for him before she takes the seat next to him. 

Leonard is well aware that the explanation was obviously missing a key part. The part the would explain why they all looked they were keeping a secret and avoiding looking at him. 

Len picked up a cracker to eat while waiting for his soup to cool. He kept one arm hugged around his middle. He wondered what could have happened to him that his teammates were hesitant to talk about it. Did he turn into some kind of monster? 

"Did something awful happen?" He asked quietly not sure he really wanted to know. 

None of the team expected their Snart to react this way. He looked lost and small and too much like the scared little boy they'd met. 

"No, nothing awful. It wasn't horrible or anything. It was scary because you were in pain and we didn't know what to do about it." Kendra looked down and broke a potato chip on her plate as she explained. 

Sara stabbed her pasta with her fork. "We're all being awkward Snart because we didn't want you to feel awkward and we're failing miserably."

He looked at each of them and their bashful reddened faces. He was about ready to get up and walk away from all of them and all of this. "Just tell me."

Stupid drug induced blackout. He couldn't remember a damn thing about last night. Had he run around naked with a lampshade on his head? Had the drug transformed him into gorilla? Or maybe it was a drug that change people to different genders. That might account for why more than one of them was blushing. 

Rip sat forward at the other end of the table. "The drug you were slipped last night de-aged you Mr. Snart." 

'De-aged' the word tumbled around his head as he thought about what it meant. He got a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

"We met Leo last night." Sara explained in a calm simple way. 

"Oh." Now Leonard understood. It explain so much including their hesitation. He didn't share that part of himself with people, not usually and not willingly. 

"You didn't do anything embarrassing or anything." Ray said encouragingly cheerfully. 

"We just all thought it seemed very personal." Kendra and the team gave him pitying looks. 

The kind of looks that he hated. He knew his childhood, hell his life, was tragic but that was not what he wanted people to think of when they saw him. He much preferred they remember the cool, calculated crook. It was a persona he had been perfecting for years. 

"Well I..." Leonard started but he was cut off by Rip.

"It was an unfortunate side effect of the drug that we glimpsed into your person business. We should all do well to remember that this was not information Mr. Snart gave us freely and there for we should respect his privacy. We do regret any distress this may cause."

"I'm sure. Just like I'm sure I regret..." Snart starts pulling things from his pockets. "Any distress I may have cause you."

There was a watch that belonged to Stein, bracelets that looked like Kendra's, a futuristic garage door opener looking thingy that must have come out of Rip's pocket, and Ray's wallet. There was nothing from Jax or Sara, either they hadn't gotten close enough to him or they hadn't had anything on them he could lift. 

"What?" Ray said in disbelief. "I've been looking everywhere for that." 

Leonard shrugged. "I woke up with it all in my pockets." 

"I remember having my wallet when Kendra and I sat down at the table last night. That would mean that little Snart took it, you were twelve!" Ray said indignantly 

"and scared." Kendra added in disbelief as she slipped her bracelets on. 

"With strong survival instincts." Sara smiled to herself. 

Snart was pleased he could still shock his teammates after he'd basically had his soul forcibly shown to them. 

He grabbed a couple crackers from the table and got up to head to his room. No one stopped him and no one followed. 

He wasn't surprised when after he changed into some of his everyday clothes and laced up his boots there was a knock on the door. 

He wasn't really in the mood for anymore talking but he opened the door. It was better to just open it and get it over with then to have the person on the other side start nagging when he didn't answer. 

The curious look on Len's face when he opened the door was priceless Sara wished she'd had a camera. She presented him with what she'd brought. "You didn't eat your soup and the team thought I should bring you this."

"A milkshake?" He asked as he looked at the huge chocolate milkshake with whip cream, sprinkles and a cherry that Sara was trying to give him. 

"Last night you didn't de-age just once. When I got you back to the ship you were somewhere in your twenties, then you were twelve and then I don't know maybe five or so, probably a little older if I had to guess cause like you said you were a small kid. Well you were hungry and we wanted you to eat, this is what we wound up giving you but you didn't get to finish the one last night before the sedatives kicked in. So the team...they wanted you to have one now." 

Leonard was touched, he didn't want to be, but still he was. "He, Leo, was excited wasn't he."

"Yes I think he was." Sara thought about how cute he was with his dark curls and blue eyes. 

Snart moved to sit on the bed and Sara followed understanding the unspoken invitation. 

They sat together and laughed about the team's faces when they realized they been pick pocketed by a kid. 

Len drank his milkshake and even shared some with Sara.

The end

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, reviews are welcome and appreciated


End file.
